


Beautiful

by AnUnknownForeignBeauty



Series: After the Epilogue [4]
Category: The Daevabad Trilogy - S. A. Chakraborty
Genre: Dark moods, F/M, Nahri and Ali adore each other, Pregnancy, Saying beautiful, after the epilogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:22:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25181683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnUnknownForeignBeauty/pseuds/AnUnknownForeignBeauty
Summary: Nahri and Ali have accumulated many scars over years, yet they have to tell each other that they are beautiful.After the epilogue. Empire of Gold spoilers.
Relationships: Nahri e-Nahid/Alizayd al Qahtani
Series: After the Epilogue [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1803742
Comments: 7
Kudos: 33





	Beautiful

**_ One year after the epilogue _ **

****

** Ali **

Ali watched Nahri animatedly arguing with the delegates, cunning them to her side with her charming smile. The discussions took turns into many topics, and Ali was glad that today Nahri was by his side, or he had no idea how to make these quarreling delegates agree with one another. Most of the topics reached satisfying conclusions, and he could not but ignore the admiring looks she got from the delegates, especially the Daevas. _She would make an excellent queen_ , Ali mused. It was a shame that she agreed with his power-sharing ideas. If his father were in her place, he would snatch the opportunity to grab all the powers for himself. He was not sure about Muntadhir, but yes, he was glad that the ring chose Nahri, instead of any of the current Qahtanis.

And he admired her for this. No, it was wrong, he admired her everything. Her every move…her every word…the way she smiled… the gentle press of her fingers on his hand…

“May I suggest something?” Ali snapped back to the reality as one of the Daeva delegates spoke. He narrowed his eyes towards their entwined hands, but he quickly looked away. Ali was aware of the looks he got from the Daevas, and jerked his hand away from Nahri quickly, blushing furiously.

“Yes,” Ali eyed Nahri, but she was busy treating herself with a bowl of grapes. She nudged him to continue. “Please continue.” He tried to keep his voice somber. Ali could feel the delegate’s eyes on Nahri, and he tensed. Well, Alizayd had never been a popular person, especially with the Daevas. His association with the Banu Nahida was still a debated topic among them.

“I think it is time for our Banu Nahida to choose her consort.” The delegate finally spoke.

Silence fell across the room. Nahri’s grapes dropped into the bowl from her hand. Ali could feel all the eyes on the rooms on two of them, especially him. And they were not much appreciating.

“What you mean by that?” Nahri frowned.

“It has been a year since your divorce, Banu Nahida. And your association with Prince Alizayd is not very….” The Daeva delegate cleared his throat, but the look of disgust didn’t leave his face.

‘What do you mean?” Nahri snapped.

“Well,” The delegate hesitated, cringing under Nahri’s glare, but the look of discontent did not leave his face, “But Prince Alizayd can’t be actually considered as one of us…”

“He is my friend.” Nahri spoke firmly, not looking away from the delegate’s eyes, “There is nothing scandalous going on between us. He is devout, you know that well.”

It was enough to put the delegate into silence. But Ali could not ignore the look of disgust in their faces.

Alizayd might be oblivious to many things, but he was neither deaf nor blind.

He caught his reflection in the back of the shining copper plate on the table. His glowing yellow eyes, silver scars, coils of mists playing at his feet- nothing reminded him of who he was before. He knew the looks he got whenever he entered into a room, or how laughter died in his presence. Their people still feared Marid, and no one could ignore that he was partly one of them. Not only the Daevas, but also in the usual crowd, he stood apart like a rolling void, earning both curious and equally disgusted looks, especially in the presence of their beloved Banu Nahida.

He had earned many names among the common Deavas- sand-fly, Qahtani-brat, and the newest editions included crocodile, marid even cursed. Although none of them were courageous enough to say in his presence, it was not that he had kept his eyes or ears closed.

He knew Nahri never did care about these things, but he couldn’t ignore the guilt he felt whenever two of them in public for putting her in front of the appalling look and whispers from their people. She did so much for these people. She did not really deserve this.

So, later in the evening, their quiet study above the hospital, Ali sat on the cushions across her, carefully maintaining a reasonable distance. Nahri only raised her eyebrow, but said nothing, instead kept browsing through a thick book she had discovered in the library. Ali toyed with his scrolls, the silence remained thick between them. And in the flickering candlelight, she looked breathtaking. Ali felt an urge to take her hand and kiss her wrist.

He did not. Instead, he cleared his throat. “Nahri?”

“Listening…” She did not look up from her book, but the corners of her lips quirked up in a smile.

Ali could not look away from her. He blinked, trying to push away all the impure thoughts from his head. “I am thinking about the Deava delegate’s suggestion. He is right actually. Daevas are not very happy with your association with me.”

“What do you mean?” Nahri put down her book and frowned.

Ali hesitated. How could he suggest this? After all the things they had gone through together. Still, the event from today’s meeting stung like a thorn in his head.

She definitely deserved the world, and Ali would not stand in her way to happiness.

“You better choose a consort with less controversy.” Ali swallowed as her curious look turned into a glare.

‘Are you well, al Qahtani?” She smiled and scooted closer, placing her hand over his forehead. Ali shivered under her touch, his defense falling.

“Nahri,” He tried to keep his expression serious, “I am serious with my suggestion.”

Nahri looked at his face with wide eyes, and moved apart, disbelief marring her confused expression. “Ali,” She spoke, voice tinted with pain, “Why are you talking like this? Is there anything I did?”

“No,” Ali shook his head, glancing at their reflection on the polished brass of the oil lamp, “Look at me. I don’t look like anything people want to see beside their Banu Nahida. I heard them talking….about you…about us” He swallowed, and looked into her depthless dark eyes, feeling himself loosing into them, “You…you don’t really deserve these backlashes. You…you deserve much better. Than me…” He lowered his gaze, trying to blink a drop of tear appearing unknowingly at the corner of his eyes. “I mean, you had better men than me- the Afsin, and Dhiru….were at least handsome…”

“Oh, Ali...” In their reflection, Ali saw Nahri’s eyes softening, and he could feel her one arm around his shoulder. Her other hand cupped his chin and forced him to look at her. Ali glanced at his reflection in her dark eyes…his yellow eyes glowing in the darkness….he was nothing pleasant to look at.

No doubt people were terrified of him. No doubt they didn’t want to see their Banu Nahida beside a monster.

Ali looked away.

“Alizayd al Qahtani fretting over his looks...” Corners of Nahri’s lips turned up in a smile, “Now that is news… “

“But…” Ali tried to open his mouth, but Nahri’s finger on his lips silenced him. His heart quickened with the touch of her finger over his scars, under his clothes. He could not stop shivering.

“You are beautiful.” She whispered, her warm breath brushing his ears, “Alizayd al Qahtani. And I chose you as whatever you are.”

Ali’s eyes widened when a sly smile crossed her lips. Before he could protest, Nahri pulled him down by his collars and claimed his lips with her own.

.

.

.

****

**_ Five years later _ **

** Nahri **

Nahri did not know the girl looking back at her from the reflection.

She untied her robe and stared at her bare chest, swollen and painful. She could hardly keep her hand over her chest without feeling any pain. Beads of sweats appeared on her forehead as she tried to control the water from the glass rising with each stroke of her finger. Suleiman’s ring never got along with Marid magic.

She stared down at her reflection in the full-length mirror before her and saw a stranger. She had dark hair, with a round face like her, but that was where the similarities stopped. Her middle was so swollen that she could not see her feet anymore. She could not possibly be her, though she moved when she moved. She looked nothing like the con artist from the streets of Cairo or the Banu Nahida fussing over patients confidently in the hospital.

She trailed her finger over the stretch marks and dark spots over her swollen abdomen. She really missed the smoothness of her skin. At this stage of pregnancy, she could hardly walk with her previous grace, except she waddled. She missed her previous agility. She had no idea that djinn pregnancy lasted longer than humans. Added with the Marid magic that her child was possibly bearing, she could hardly recognize herself. Her hair glittered; her dark eyes were tinted with flakes of gold, almost glowing in the faint candlelight. Currently, her eyes reminded her so much of her mother. The mother she never met…. Water in the glass moved as she let out a sigh of frustration.

By the time Ali came back with tea, Nahri sat in a chair, staring at her untied shoes. Her feet were so swollen that she could hardly slip them in the shoes. And with her currently unusual sized stomach, it was impossible to bend down and tie her shoes. Gratitude surged through her heart as Ali sat at her feet and began to tie her shoes. She did not know what to do without him.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Well, we would never get in the meeting on time if you had to tie them yourself,” Ali said handing her the cup. Nahri took a sip and put it down. It was bitter as usual.

“Ali, how many times I need to tell you not to keep the leaves longer in the pot.” She put aside the cup and clicked her tongue.

“Sorry, I forgot.” Ali grinned sheepishly, now buttoning up the front of her robe. Then he helped her to stand. Her balance was a bit iffy, but she steadied herself on her feet anyway. A sharp pain stabbed her heart as she stood, and she took a deep breath to steady the pain.

“Nahri?” She opened her eyes to find Ali looking at her with much concern. She gazed into his faintly glowing eyes, tender with affection. And it darkened her mood more.

“It is your fault, you know that.” Nahri swatted away Ali’s hands a bit roughly and glanced at her reflection. “And how can I go to the meeting? I can barely walk.”

“Ah, Nahri.” Ali whispered softly, gently slipping one arm around her shoulder, “Dhiru has arranged a carriage for you.”

She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Even the loose golden robe didn’t improve her looks. She looked like she swallowed a whole crocodile. She jabbed a finger into Ali’s chest, and let out an irritated sigh. “If I knew that I could not see my feet for fifteen months, then I would never agree with you and Sobek’s plan. I can barely move. And I am as big as a house. I wonder if I fit into a carriage anymore.” A drop of angry tear rolled on her cheek.

Ali looked down at the slender finger poking at his heart and gently caught her hand into his. He moved behind her and placed a hand over her stomach, feeling the faint movement of their child. Her child....Nahri could not still believe....their child. A child born out of love, not to meet any political expectation. A sudden surge of affection flooded her heart, as she placed her hand over his, feeling their child move. A stange feeling of peace washed the darkness away.

Nahri looked up, at their joined reflection in the mirror, the admiration in Ali’s eyes. “Do you still think I am beautiful?” She snorted.

“You are, _Habibiti_.” He pressed his lips on her neck, sending shivers down her spine.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is inspired by the song Beautiful by James Blunt. Let me know what you think.


End file.
